1. Field
The present embodiments relate to an input device for inputting a character for use in an electronic device.
2. Related Art
Input devices have been previously mounted on electronic apparatuses such as an information terminal or a personal computer. The input device has a configuration that enables an input operation to be input using a hand-written character by recognizing a coordinate position as an XY plane coordinate of the character input by, for instance, hand writing.
With this coordinate input device, when an operating body such as a finger of a user contacts or presses an arbitrary position in an input area formed at the input device to write a character or other suitable symbol, the contacted or pressed position of the input device is detected as a coordinate value. The coordinate value is input to an electronic apparatus body, as a coordinate data signal.
A character or handwriting can be displayed on a display unit provided at a device body based on the input coordinate data signal.
Such input devices, which enable inputting of the hand-written characters, are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004-213269 and 2005-31786 as follows.
In order to confirm that the character inputting is completed, the input device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-213269 is configured to recognize that a new character is not input for a predetermined period of time after the character inputting, and to confirm the character inputting when the predetermined period of time has elapsed.
Accordingly, it is necessary to wait for the predetermined period of time to pass to confirm the completion of the character inputting, thereby disabling the quick input operation.
The input device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-31786 is configured, after the character inputting, to confirm the character inputting by taking a hand-off the input area where the character has been input and then pressing another button provided at a position away from the input area.
Accordingly, similarly to the input device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-213269, when a confirmation button formed at the position away form the input area is pressed for confirming the character inputting, a contacting body is necessary to be moved to the position away from the input area for confirming the completion of the character inputting. Accordingly, the completion of the character inputting cannot be easily confirmed. Thus, there is a need for an input device that enables simple and quick character inputting.